Couple questions about being an INTP

[Scourgexlvii]

Um... Hi... I am an INTP, and after reading up on it, I realized how true it was... with a few slight differances... but otherwise, it felt like I was reading a biography, so I started looking for more, but I couldn't find much other than what the links on mypersonality.info gave... So I had a few questions:

1) I feel like I, in a few ways, am not right for an INTP, namely, because I like to write, which didn't appear on any pages I read, and some even said that INTPs don't like to write (creatively). Is this normal, or no?

1a) As an addendum, if it is, does anyone ever get the sudden urge to come up with the entire history/scientific concepts in sci-fi stories. I do mean Entire...

2) Also, Everything I ever read about INTPs say that they are blunt and often condescend people without meaning, but I'm often (probably too) careful with my words, sometimes playing dumb to avoid seeming to speak down to people when talking to them about stuff I'm knowledgeable in. Again, is this normal

3)Finally, a non-is-this-normal thing, I am incredibly shy, and don't do well meeting people. How does everyone else deal with this?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Dormouse]

All of that is completely normal for me. There are many breeds of INTP, as you will surely see.

 

[nickgray]

Those are pretty common, especially the third one Welcome to the club

 

[Android]

1) Yes.. it seems relatively common.
1a) If I'm not careful I end up spending more time developing a world/history/mythology than I do writing. It's a form of procrastination for me I think.. along with too much attention to detail.

 

[Ombat]

INTP is not a box. We are all different here!

2) Also, Everything I ever read about INTPs say that they are blunt and often condescend people without meaning, but I'm often (probably too) careful with my words, sometimes playing dumb to avoid seeming to speak down to people when talking to them about stuff I'm knowledgeable in. Again, is this normal

Hmm... this is probably a good thing. When I explain things to people they usually make a comment about me not having to be so angry that they don't understand, but I wasn't angry at all. I think we get excited when explaining things that we are knowledgeable about. Good for you for having awareness.

 

[sagewolf]

Yes, yes, and yes. Number two in particular: I feel the need to explain all the scientific concepts behind all my fantasy stories. And yes, I try to put them in.

As to the last one... I think INTPs have a slightly more angry or irritated expression in general than other people. I don;t think we animate our faces quite as much either, unless we're actually enjoying the conversation and having fun. So we come off like we're always mad, even when we think we're expressing neutrality. I dunno.

 

[Reverse Transcriptase]

Yes, yes, and yes. Number two in particular: I feel the need to explain all the scientific concepts behind all my fantasy stories. And yes, I try to put them in.

Same here, it's a great way to pad the word count. I can write backstory better/faster/harder/stronger than I can write dialogue or action...

1) I feel like I, in a few ways, am not right for an INTP, namely, because I like to write, which didn't appear on any pages I read, and some even said that INTPs don't like to write (creatively). Is this normal, or no?

1a) As an addendum, if it is, does anyone ever get the sudden urge to come up with the entire history/scientific concepts in sci-fi stories. I do mean Entire...

There are some writers within us. Even the writers have motivation problems though. But the INTP is all about having logic/fact webs, which manifests itself with writing of wanting to have a coherent, consistent and complete fictional universe.

2) Also, Everything I ever read about INTPs say that they are blunt and often condescend people without meaning, but I'm often (probably too) careful with my words, sometimes playing dumb to avoid seeming to speak down to people when talking to them about stuff I'm knowledgeable in. Again, is this normal

It really depends on how the INTP is developed. I've met some INTPs are who are gigantic assholes, but most of them are thoughtful. I think most of us don't intend to be mean/blunt/condescending, it just happens accidentally while we're obsessively insisting on getting the facts straight.

 

[Da Blob]

Um... Hi... I am an INTP, and after reading up on it, I realized how true it was... with a few slight differances... but otherwise, it felt like I was reading a biography, so I started looking for more, but I couldn't find much other than what the links on mypersonality.info gave... So I had a few questions:

1) I feel like I, in a few ways, am not right for an INTP, namely, because I like to write, which didn't appear on any pages I read, and some even said that INTPs don't like to write (creatively). Is this normal, or no?
Well, I have never claimed to be 'normal', but I have posted nearly 2000 comments on this forum alone in the past year... I guess i like to write...?

1a) As an addendum, if it is, does anyone ever get the sudden urge to come up with the entire history/scientific concepts in sci-fi stories. I do mean Entire...
I am more into spontaneous flashbacks that involve the challenges of engineering more than the pure science...

2) Also, Everything I ever read about INTPs say that they are blunt and often condescend people without meaning, but I'm often (probably too) careful with my words, sometimes playing dumb to avoid seeming to speak down to people when talking to them about stuff I'm knowledgeable in. Again, is this normal
I have been accused of being blunt and condescending - these accusations are, of course, completely without merit...

3)Finally, a non-is-this-normal thing, I am incredibly shy, and don't do well meeting people. How does everyone else deal with this?
I am so shy, I tend to be invisible as much as possible...
Thanks in advance.

.

 

[jsibley1]

1) I feel like I, in a few ways, am not right for an INTP, namely, because I like to write, which didn't appear on any pages I read, and some even said that INTPs don't like to write (creatively). Is this normal, or no?

Generally, I don't write. I carry a notebook with me and I write down ideas I have, though. I recently bought a second notebook to carry with me when I am reading books because I find it hard to read anything without each sentence or paragraph generating ideas in my head that distract me from my reading. So, I will write down the passage that stuck to me, write a few words that I have to say about it, then get back to reading.

Even though I don't write... I can write... a lot. A simple sentence I have to say can easily turn into two pages of written material, and more. It was a great gift in college when I had to write papers. I earned a BS in BS Writing.

1a) As an addendum, if it is, does anyone ever get the sudden urge to come up with the entire history/scientific concepts in sci-fi stories. I do mean Entire...

I don't like sci-fi except for the occasional movie... like The Fifth Element or Back to the Future. Sci-fi books, or just novels in general, never appealed to me. I'd rather read a book on astrodynamical differential equations with quantum tunnel optimization strategies*** than any novel.

***Sorry guys, that book doesn't exist...

...yet.

2) Also, Everything I ever read about INTPs say that they are blunt and often condescend people without meaning, but I'm often (probably too) careful with my words, sometimes playing dumb to avoid seeming to speak down to people when talking to them about stuff I'm knowledgeable in. Again, is this normal

If I feel I know what I am talking about and I am comfortable around the person, I do tend to come across as being blunt and talking down to them. It's only because I am passionate about my opinion. Hell, I'll argue with you even if I agree with everything you say. The angle that I come from 90% of the time is one of clarity. It's something that really means a lot to me. If you're going to argue an opinion, at least understand all the angles of the issue.

3)Finally, a non-is-this-normal thing, I am incredibly shy, and don't do well meeting people. How does everyone else deal with this?.

I don't talk to strangers.... unless they give away candy.

 

[Nicholas A. A. E.]

2) Also, Everything I ever read about INTPs say that they are blunt and often condescend people without meaning, but I'm often (probably too) careful with my words, sometimes playing dumb to avoid seeming to speak down to people when talking to them about stuff I'm knowledgeable in. Again, is this normal

3)Finally, a non-is-this-normal thing, I am incredibly shy, and don't do well meeting people. How does everyone else deal with this?

2) I am the same way. I will find myself pretending to be more simple-minded, or finding a reason to excuse my excellence to people, when I happen to excel in something.

3) Yeah, join the club. Heh. I deal with it by trying to be really gracious to everyone, hoping some of them will take the hint and initiate the social contact. I guess my Fe is more developed than the average INTP's (I imagine yours is too), but I can still be pretty shy.

It helps that I'm in my senior year of high school, thus I spend a lot of time with people who have known me or known of me for years. It is easier in these circumstances to suspend how much you care about not appearing weird. I derive confidence from it and am able to be more spontaneous. But I still suck at keeping up my end of most conversations.

 

[Zero]

If it has an IN it probably writes.

1a) Like where you write everything about the world and the history, because you feel it's important to the main story and then you realize the exposition is insane and you shouldn't have done it. You have no energy left to actually write the story. It would almost seem redundant... Try to avoid that... exposition is like... a dangerous endless fall...

2) What? Well, I'm only open with my words... when they're in text ... Otherwise... only sometimes do I break the fourth wall. I like communicating with expressions and body language, it just condemns people all the more.

3) I'm not really shy. I haven't really been shy. People just think I don't give a damn....
And they were right. But that was upsetting to my parents, so now I pretend to give a damn and sometimes I do.

 

[Causeless]

As to the last one... I think INTPs have a slightly more angry or irritated expression in general than other people. I don;t think we animate our faces quite as much either, unless we're actually enjoying the conversation and having fun. So we come off like we're always mad, even when we think we're expressing neutrality. I dunno.

I attempt to counteract this by putting smilies at the end of all my posts and texts.

 

[komiyama-nahori]

Yes, yes, and yes. Number two in particular: I feel the need to explain all the scientific concepts behind all my fantasy stories. And yes, I try to put them in.

As to the last one... I think INTPs have a slightly more angry or irritated expression in general than other people. I don;t think we animate our faces quite as much either, unless we're actually enjoying the conversation and having fun. So we come off like we're always mad, even when we think we're expressing neutrality. I dunno.

I get that feeling too!!! My mother always tells me to smile, but I am always thinking when I am expressing neutrality, and wouldn't smiling a vacant smile while you are thinking make you look like an airhead?

 

[Trebuchet]

I get that feeling too!!! My mother always tells me to smile, but I am always thinking when I am expressing neutrality, and wouldn't smiling a vacant smile while you are thinking make you look like an airhead?

My mom broke me of looking neutral when I was about 14. Now I try to maintain a small smile instead of a neutral face. It really helps, but I can see why someone wouldn't want to do it, or would find it irritating to have to.

Many other types depend on obvious facial expressions, and miss subtlety, I find. If you don't have a huge smile, you aren't happy. If you aren't shouting, you aren't angry. And so on. Many INTPs, including me, seem to find that sort of loud facial expression to be a bit gauche. But I do it anyway to help them out.

 

[Nicholas A. A. E.]

I get that feeling too!!! My mother always tells me to smile, but I am always thinking when I am expressing neutrality, and wouldn't smiling a vacant smile while you are thinking make you look like an airhead?

I always try to maintain a smile - it's awkward because of all the crap the orthodontist's got in my mouth, but my baseline emotional state is satisfaction & a sort of immediate happiness, usually due to social interaction.

 

[420MuNkEy]

My mom broke me of looking neutral when I was about 14. Now I try to maintain a small smile instead of a neutral face. It really helps, but I can see why someone wouldn't want to do it, or would find it irritating to have to.

I've tried this, but just ended up looking like a psychopath, so I gave into the robot that is my outward emotions

 

[Trebuchet]

I've tried this, but just ended up looking like a psychopath, so I gave into the robot that is my outward emotions

Yeah, better to avoid the psychopath look. Although, at least people stop telling you to smile, or ask what you are upset about, if they worry that you might go for their throat.